Podcasting: The Final Mic Drop on Trustworthiness 

In a world drowning in clickbait headlines and algorithm-curated feeds, one old-school medium is quietly re-emerging as a digital powerhouse: the human voice. Podcasts are no longer just a trendy content format – they’re becoming the new reference piece for personal and company brands alike. 

Why? Because voice = visibility. 

People might scroll past a dozen written or designed posts, but give them a compelling voice (especially paired with your face!) and they’ll remember you. 

In this blog, we’ll explore how getting involved in podcasting can supercharge your brand’s recognition, trust factor, SEO performance, and thought leadership. 

Relatable Voices Make Sticky Brands

Think about the last time a catchy jingle or a familiar voice got stuck in your head. Humans have iconic voices just as they have iconic logos or taglines. In fact, people tend to remember a genuine voice more than a written headline – it’s science and psychology. 

Messages conveyed by a real person (with real emotion) can be up to 22 times more memorable than plain facts or text. That’s because hearing someone speak engages our emotions and senses in a way reading can’t. A headline might inform, but a voice connects. And  in a time where so many people wish to unsubscribe from engaging with negativity online, you have the opportunity to make your voice a positive one – for your own brand, business, and your ideal clients.  

If we look at iconic media from the past, advertising legend Billy Mays comes to mind. His booming, bombastic voice made us all excited about something as mundane as laundry cleaner. That’s the magic of voice – it injects personality and enthusiasm that sticks. 

On a smaller scale, your own authentic voice can do the same for your business. When you talk about your products or your industry on a podcast (or in a video), you’re not just informing – you’re infusing your brand with personality. That vocal energy and authenticity make listeners feel like they know you. 

Often, podcasters hear from fans, “I feel like I know you just from listening!” And it’s true: a listener who’s spent hours with your voice in their earbuds has essentially been through a friendly conversation with you. They’ve heard you laugh, tell stories, maybe even ramble a bit – in other words, they’ve gotten to meet the real human behind the brand.

Voice Builds Instant Trust and Recognition

This kind of unfiltered, unpolished communication builds trust faster than any perfectly-crafted LinkedIn post or landing page. Why? Because it’s real. When you speak passionately about a topic, with no character limit or corporate polish, people sense your expertise and sincerity. 

There’s research to back this up: podcasts stimulate positive brain activity. Smart marketers use that neurological dynamic spark to build trust, boost recall, and turn listeners into happy customers.

Need an example? Our own CEO at Xponent21, Will Melton, is a regular podcast guest and even launched America’s Healthiest City through Channel RVA to spotlight Richmond’s path to better living.

We’ve seen strangers come up to him at industry events and say, “I recognized your voice!” They feel an immediate connection, as if they already know him from the initial familiarity on LinkedIn or another channel, and have formed a connection with him before meeting from these podcast episodes. 

In their minds, he’s not a “cold” contact – he’s that insightful voice they heard discussing topics they care about. The trust is already established by the time they shake his hand. 

Often, it’s because either (a) the listener was already a fan of the podcast’s host/guest, and hearing Will on the show transferred some of that trust to him, or (b) the listener had a specific interest in the niche topic being discussed, so they tuned in and walked away with a positive impression. In both scenarios, voice turned a first encounter into a warm introduction.

Bottom line: a memorable voice and video builds brand recall and likability in a way written content often struggles to match. A podcast episode can create a bond – listeners might start to feel they know you, like you’re a trusted colleague or friend, just because you chat in their ear about what you know best.

When it comes time to do business, who do you think they’ll reach out to? The faceless company with the clever tagline, or the familiar voice they feel they already trust?

From Podcast Listener to Loyal Customer (Real Outcomes)

Still not convinced that investing in your voice is worth it? Let’s talk outcomes. Beyond the fuzzy feel-good of “people like my voice,” podcasting can drive real business opportunities. 

We’ve seen entrepreneurs land clients who first discovered them on a podcast interview, or professionals get career-changing LinkedIn messages from someone who heard their podcast and was impressed. If you have a podcast (or appear on others), don’t be surprised when one day you get a message that starts with, “I heard you on XYZ Show and…” — That’s the sound of your content doing its job – warming up leads before you even meet them.

One example from our experience: As Will Melton’s podcast appearances gained visibility, they directly opened doors to meetings with prospective clients.. Prospective clients mentioned they heard his conversation and it resonated. The podcast wasn’t about selling anything – it was just a genuine discussion – but it showcased Will’s expertise and values. By the time listeners visited our website or our LinkedIn profiles, they already felt positive about our brand. This kind of unexpected recognition is priceless. It’s like networking while you sleep; your voice is out there making introductions and impressions 24/7.

Think of a podcast episode as a two-way conversation that just hasn’t met the second person yet. You put your knowledge and personality out there, and when the listener finally does meet you (whether in a meeting, a sales call, or an online chat), they’re already nodding along because of the familiarity already established.

We call that shortening the trust gap – and voice content is incredibly effective at it. 

Involving your leadership in a podcast can humanize your brand and fast-track trust building. When a company’s president or CEO hosts or guests on a podcast, it puts a relatable, authoritative voice to the brand, which resonates widely. 

Looking for a notable example? If you know anybody in the Gen Z or Alpha age bracket, you probably know they are on YouTube – all the time. One of the biggest creators in that space is MrBeast. He’s been called “The Mozart of the attention war” – but his brand extends far past YouTube stunts. Past the usual merch that content creators of this magnitude usually opt into creating, MrBeast has also expanded into the food industry with brands like Feastables and MrBeast Burger. 

But here’s where his content gets really smart: he’s also showing up on podcasts like CEO Diaries, not to entertain like usual – but to put context behind his ventures. In the linked episode, he talked about scaling his team to 500+ employees, building a team culture, and navigating leadership challenges as a young entrepreneur. Far from his typical flashy stunt or viral prank, it was real talk about running and growing a serious business.

That’s the magic of podcasts. They give creators and business leaders the space to show a different side of themselves—one rooted in depth, credibility, and strategy. By stepping into this more thoughtful content stream, MrBeast added layers to his brand that most casual viewers don’t see on YouTube. He didn’t abandon entertainment, but he expanded the narrative. And for anyone building a business or a reputation, that’s the kind of media move that builds long-term equity.

And for potential investors or partners who might’ve written him off as “just a YouTuber,” this kind of content reframes the picture entirely. It signals that he’s not just chasing clicks, he’s building an empire. Podcast interviews like these show vision, operational clarity, and leadership acumen—the kind of traits that matter in boardrooms, not just comment sections.

Podcasting + SEO + AI: Your Voice in the Search Machine (On the SEO & AI Side)

So we’ve established podcasts are great for branding and trust. But this wouldn’t be an Xponent21 marketing insight if we didn’t answer our bread and butter questions. How do podcasts help SEO? Can podcasts really help your site get more traffic? And what does AI think of podcast content?

Can Podcasts Rank? Absolutely (With a Little Help from Transcripts)

By themselves, audio files are not easily “readable” by search engines. Google’s crawler can’t hear your silky voice or funny ad libs. But here’s what’s coming next: modern AI search engines analyzing multimedia content. 

Specifically, AI can read audio transcripts. This means if you provide a text transcription of your podcast episodes (either on your website or via podcast show notes), you’ve suddenly made that content indexable and searchable. All those juicy insights and keywords you discussed in the episode can now help your SEO, just like the content of a blog post would.

In 2025, integrating audio content is now considered an AI-friendly move for boosting authority. A comprehensive SEO strategy we often implement includes leveraging diverse formats – written, video, and yes, audio – to signal expertise. 

As Xponent21’s AI SEO guide notes, using formats like podcasts and video interviews strengthens your credibility and increases the chances of being cited by AI. The logic is simple: large language models (LLMs)—the engines behind today’s most advanced search and generative AI systems—are trained almost entirely on human language. if your voice content is backed by text that AI can digest, you’re suddenly part of the data pool that advanced search algorithms draw from when generating answers .

Let’s talk about those AI-generated overviews for a moment (the kind you see in Google’s Search Generative Experience or other AI search tools). You might have noticed that so far, they’re only getting started citing videos for certain inquiries  – they’re typically sticking to text answers. 

This is exactly why you should act now: it’s a relatively untapped opportunity. 

By providing detailed transcripts and even short summaries of each episode, you make it far more likely that AI-driven search will include your insights. The AI models comb through text to identify relevant info; if your brilliant podcast quote isn’t in text form somewhere, it’s essentially invisible to them. Kind of like when you publish a website, but don’t have it indexed with google search. With a transcript, suddenly your podcast is indexed online in a more useful way for bots – they can now find the content that appears in search results, smart snippets, or AI answers for relevant queries.

Let’s also remember – don’t neglect schema markup and metadata. Just as you optimize a webpage with structured data, you can do the same for podcast content. Implementing the proper Podcast schema on your site and including structured metadata (episode titles, descriptions with keywords, etc.) sends signals to Google and AI systems about your content.

Think of schema as a translator between your audio content and the search engine – it explains that “Hey, this page contains a podcast episode about [XYZ Product] featuring [Mr. Guest]”. Coupled with a transcript, you’ve now covered both the what and the where of making your podcast SEO-friendly.

Optimize Your Podcast for AI Search: The Podcast SEO Checklist

• Publish Transcripts & Show Notes: For every episode, have a keyword-rich blog post or page with the full transcript and a summary of key points. This enhances indexing and helps AI understand your content. It also makes your content accessible to people who prefer reading or skimming.
  
• Use Structured Data (Schema): Add Podcast schema (and VideoObject schema if you have a video version) to your episode pages. Provide clear titles, descriptions, and relevant tags. This structured info helps search engines find and feature your episodes in results.
  
• Optimize Episode Titles & Descriptions: Just like blog headlines, craft episode titles that include relevant keywords and are enticing to click. Write descriptions that highlight the topic and any notable guests or questions answered. This isn’t just for human readers, AI will use these fields to gauge relevancy.
  
• Cross-Link with Related Content: Whenever you cover a topic on your podcast that you’ve also written about (or have a case study on), link them. Embed your podcast episode in related blog posts and vice versa. This creates a web of content on your site that reinforces your expertise from multiple angles. Internal links and embedded media tell AI “we have a whole ecosystem of content on this subject”, boosting your authority.
  
• Leverage YouTube (for Video Podcasts): If you film recordings, put them on YouTube with transcripts and relevant tags. Google often ranks YouTube content highly, and YouTube’s transcripts contribute to SEO as well. Even for audio-only podcasts, consider a simple audiogram video for YouTube with captions – it’s another channel to get discovered and build your web of content. With a billion Youtube users listening to podcasts every month, this is one channel to not leave behind in your marketing mix.
  

The reward for doing all this? You’re not just speaking into the void – you’re creating an SEO asset. 

For example, one of the big benefits our clients see is that transcribing episodes and publishing them as keyword-optimized blog posts can significantly boost organic search rankings. Some have literally doubled their blog traffic by adding podcast transcripts, because suddenly they’re ranking for long-tail keywords discussed in those episodes. And when you encourage your podcast guests to share the episode link on their own sites or socials, you often earn valuable backlinks in the process (every time a guest’s site links to “Check out my interview on ___ Podcast”, that’s a new inbound link for you). All of this enhances your domain authority and search visibility in the long run.

Squeeze the Juice: Repurposing Podcasts into Multi-Channel Content

For the folks on your team concerned about social media, the beautifully efficient thing about podcasts is the amount of recycled content it creates. With a little creativity, one episode can be transformed into a dozen different pieces that highlight aspects of your business and drive social media viewers back to the original piece. 

If you’re investing time in creating a podcast episode, why not squeeze all the SEO and marketing juice out of it? This is where savvy marketers shine – and you guessed it, you’ve arrived at a savvy marketing blog. 

At Xponent21, we love repurposing content to give our clients the trustworthy and authoritative fuel they need to have strong architecture to be found online. For our team, every recording is seen as a goldmine that can fuel our entire content calendar across channels.

Here’s how you can break down a single podcast into content snippets that keep on giving:

• Blog Articles and FAQs: Use the episode transcript as the basis for your blog or other custom post types – this could look like one long piece, or several broken out topics from the original podcast conversation.
  
  Clean up the text, add context, maybe throw in some screenshots or extra examples, and there you have it – you have a piece of written content that can rank on Google.
  
  You could even consider reframing the questions asked in an interview into FAQs that are more natural inquiries because they began in the basis of a conversation.
  
• Quote Graphics & Social Posts: Pull the catchiest soundbites or insights from the episode and turn them into quote graphics for LinkedIn, Twitter (X), Instagram, etc.
  
  A witty one-liner or a powerful statistic from your podcast can become a widely shared post. Tag your guest (if you had one), tag your company, tag and crosspost with whoever was involved in the production of the episodes. This not only drives social engagement but reminds your followers that you have a professional podcast presence full of useful connections and information.
  
• Short Video Clips: If your podcast is recorded on video, take short clips (30-60 seconds) of the most compelling moments – the “mic drop” statements or a rapid-fire tip – and share those on social media. Native video content is highly engaging, and you can link back to the full episode for users who are drawn in by the initital short clip shared. 

Even if you only have audio, you can create audiogram videos (with a waveform and captions) to share. This strategy is proven to increase brand visibility and engage a broader audience by meeting them on whatever platform they prefer.

• Email Newsletters: Feature your latest podcast episode in your email blast. You can summarize the top takeaways in a bulleted list (teasing the value) and then invite people to listen for the full story.
  
  If you do a regular newsletter, a “Podcast of the Week/Month/Quarter” section can keep subscribers in the loop about your audio content  and drive listens from your existing audience base.
  
• Infographics or Slide Decks: Did your episode cover a step-by-step process or some statistics? Visualize it! Turn that content into an infographic or a slide carousel (for LinkedIn or Instagram) that educates in a quick visual format. At the end of your slides, mention that “These insights came from Episode X of our podcast – check it out for the full conversation.”
  
  Not only does this step of recycling content reiterate your podcast as a source for insightful information, it gives your audience a new way to learn – this is incredibly helpful in terms of accessibility, given 65% of people identify as visual learners.
  
• Webinars or Live Q&As: This one works in reverse too – you can use podcast content as a springboard for webinars. For instance, if an episode sparks a lot of interest, host a live discussion to dive deeper or take audience questions. 

On the other hand, we’ve taken recordings of webinars and released them as podcast episodes. The content crossover helps you reach people who prefer different formats without reinventing the wheel. Get the information to your audience in mutliple ways, because everyone’s preferences differ – they can change person to person, or even day to day.

By repurposing your podcast content in these ways, you extend the life and reach of every episode. 

A single recording session might result in a blog post that ranks in search, a LinkedIn carousel that gets shared widely, a series of tweets, and more – all pointing back to you and your brand expertise. This multi-channel presence not only reinforces your message through repetition (important for recall) but also meets your audience wherever they like to consume content.

And let’s not forget one huge benefit: consistency. Maintaining a regular podcast can feed your content pipeline so you’re never scrambling for ideas. Each episode’s topic is naturally made to spark conversation. These recorded discussions can spin off multiple content pieces, meaning you always have fresh, relevant material to post. 

Consistent content means consistent engagement, which in turn means consistent growth in your audience. Search engines notice this too – a site that’s regularly updated with quality content (like weekly podcast transcripts and show notes) tends to fare better than one that’s stale.

Talk Like an Approachable Expert: Podcasts for Thought Leadership

If establishing yourself or your company as a thought leader is one of your goals, podcasting is arguably the easiest and most authentic way to do it. Podcasting lets you demonstrate expertise by simply talking to people. No big presentation, no sales pitches, just sharing what you know in a conversational way. Listeners have the opportunity to evaluate you at their own pace. 

Think of a podcast as the modern, more engaging version of a personal brand newsletter. Looking back at marketing trends, professionals might send out a monthly email newsletter with their insights. But how many people actually read through those? How many people read those in 2025, when we receive more emails than ever before?  

Podcasts play to their own tune. In today’s landscape of media and marketing at every corner, on every screen, how many people might listen to a brief but genuine conversation during their commute or workout?  Podcasts are engineered to be on-demand, passive consumption – your audience can absorb your expertise while doing other things, which means you’re not fighting for a scarce resource (their focused reading time). 

Plus, with podcast platforms, you’re not at the mercy of social media algorithms deciding whether your content gets seen. Your subscribers will get your episodes, and you control the message fully.

In many ways, podcasting is the new pulpit for thought leaders. Even celebrities and CEOs have jumped on this—not necessarily to make money directly, but to keep their personal brand alive and thriving. It’s telling that some Hollywood actors and famous entrepreneurs host podcasts during their downtime between projects. They know that staying in your ear keeps them in your mind.

And the influence loop doesn’t stop there. It feeds on itself. Celebrities often reference each other’s appearances to keep the conversation going and the attention circulating. For instance, Dakota Johnson recently went on Amy Poehler’s podcast to talk about the new movies she’s in this summer. Then Molly Gordon, who’s also promoting a summer release, went on a different media platform and answered a question about Dakota’s appearance on Amy’s podcast. It becomes an engine of influence, where people with large audiences cross-promote each other, pulling you deeper into the conversation. If you’re a moviegoer, you’re more likely to check out a film you might have otherwise skipped simply because one actress you like is talking about another.

Being a podcast host—or even a frequent guest—works the same way in business. It’s a credibility signal that you’re knowledgeable, relevant, and engaged in the conversations people in your industry care about.

The key is to choose the right topics and tone. To avoid coming off as salesy or self-serving, focus on niche topics and novel ideas that genuinely add value. The more specific and insightful your discussions, the more you’ll stand out. 

As a bonus, unique ideas and conversations are great for SEO because there’s less competition – AI loves answering novel questions that few others have answered well. 

For example, instead of a generic “marketing tips” podcast, you might drill down to “SEO for non-profits” or “AI in healthcare marketing” – something targeted that’s sure to attract people who want to learn more about specific topics, as well as something novel enough where you can offer fresh perspectives. Not only will you attract a dedicated niche audience, but you’ll also build a reputation as the expert who talks about the things that matter most to that niche.

Our experience has shown that covering emerging or under-discussed topics can really boost your authority. You’re essentially answering questions that aren’t being answered elsewhere, which is the essence of thought leadership. And don’t be afraid to bring other experts or even clients on the show – interviewing industry guests is a win-win. It provides valuable content for listeners and positions you as a well-connected leader who facilitates important conversations. 

One more thing: a podcast can double as both a personal branding tool and a company branding tool. If you’re the founder or an executive, your personal brand and your company’s brand are intertwined in the eyes of the audience. When you shine, your company does too. A CEO-hosted podcast, for instance, automatically positions the company itself as a thought leader in the space. It humanizes the business (“Hey, the CEO is a down-to-earth person who cares about these topics!”) and also acts as a content engine for the marketing team. 

And if you’re not a CEO or higher up, but perhaps a subject matter expert at your company, your personal thought leadership via podcast still loops back to benefit the brand – it shows that the company has deep expertise on staff and encourages a culture of knowledge-sharing.

In short, talking like a real human on a podcast is the ultimate credibility hack. It proves you know your stuff without you having to explicitly claim anything. Over time, this builds a loyal audience that sees you as a go-to resource. Trust naturally leads to opportunity – whether that’s a new client, a partnership offer, or a speaking invitation. All because you chose to speak up (literally) in a format that lets your authenticity and expertise shine.

Ready to Press Record? (Goals and Next Steps)

By now, you might be thinking, “This sounds great – where do I sign up for my own podcast?” The beauty of podcasting is that it’s relatively easy to start (a decent mic and an idea, and you’re off) but infinitely scalable in impact. Let’s recap the big wins you get from putting some effort into that audio channel:

• Stronger Brand Recall and Affinity: Your voice creates a personal connection with your audience. They’ll remember you – and by extension your brand – far more than if they had just read a blog byline or an About Us page. This translates to higher trust and loyalty. When customers remember your story and personality, they remember your brand, period.
  
• Long-Term SEO Equity: Every episode becomes a piece of evergreen content on your site (once transcribed and optimized). Over time, you’re building a library of keyword-rich, authoritative content. Podcasts can address a wide array of queries and pain points your target audience has, essentially answering questions and nurturing leads on autopilot. This content keeps attracting traffic months and years down the line, paying compounding dividends in SEO. 

If you’re curious about how your SEO is doing, you can always visit the Xponent21 AI SEO tools library to investigate your standings.

• Thought Leadership & Industry Influence: Hosting a podcast is like hosting a stage – you decide the topics, you invite the guests, you set the agenda. This platform can elevate you to a position of influence within your niche. It’s one of the best ways to prove expertise and leadership without overtly selling. As your archive grows, so does your credibility. Don’t be surprised if media outlets or conference organizers start citing your podcast or inviting you because they’ve heard your ideas and see you as a leader in the space.
  
• Content Pipeline and Social Engagement: No more racking your brain for what to post on social media or your blog. Your podcast fuels it all. Each episode can be sliced and diced into content that keeps your audience engaged across channels. And because it’s all interconnected (the podcast points to the blog, which points to your services, etc.), you’re creating a cohesive ecosystem that drives people toward your brand.
  
• Networking and Relationships: This is a bonus many don’t realize until they start podcasting – inviting guests onto your show or appearing on others’ podcasts is a fantastic networking tool. It gives you a reason to reach out to people you want to connect with. Those conversations often lead to partnerships, client referrals, or at the very least, a wider professional circle. Your podcast basically says, “I have a platform and an audience, would you like to share your story on it?” – a very attractive offer in today’s content-hungry world.
  

So, should you start a podcast if you haven’t already? Our advice: give it a try. 

You don’t need to commit to a weekly show forever; even a short series or a “season” on a specific topic can reap benefits. Maybe you do a 5-episode deep dive into an issue your customers care about. The key is to start and see how you like it. Many folks find it incredibly rewarding once they get past the initial jitters.

If you already have a podcast, make sure you’re squeezing maximum value from it. That means optimizing for discoverability (SEO transcripts, metadata, etc.) and promotion (don’t just publish and pray – actively share it, repurpose it, and encourage word-of-mouth). Perhaps consider upping your game by inviting higher-profile guests, or tackling even more niche questions that haven’t been answered elsewhere to capture that search traffic.

And remember, you’re not in this alone. There’s an entire industry (including us here at Xponent21) dedicated to helping brands succeed with podcasts. From strategy to execution, getting expert help can shortcut your path to podcast success. 

Our team has helped clients launch and grow podcasts that became cornerstones of their marketing. We handle the nitty-gritty – strategic planning, production, SEO optimization, and multi-channel promotion – so you can focus on having great conversations. 

Think of it like having a producer, marketer, and SEO specialist all in one, making sure your voice gets heard by the right ears (and seen by the search engines).

Embrace the Mic: Your Voice Could Be Your Brand’s Game-Changer

In the digital landscape of 2025, authenticity and authority are everything. Podcasting hits both of those marks like nothing else. It humanizes your brand, builds trust faster than any blog post, and creates content that can dominate both the hearts of your audience and the algorithms of AI search. In essence, a podcast can become a homepage for ears instead of eyes – the place where people truly get to know you and the value you offer, before they ever shake your hand or try your product.

So, if you’re ready to elevate your brand and SEO to new heights, consider this your invitation to press record and start talking. Be it a lowkey industry chat or a high-production video podcast, there’s enormous upside in putting your voice out there. And if you need a partner in your corner – someone to help you plan it, record it, polish it, optimize it, and amplify it – you know where to find us.